Gray Baldwin

Baldy-bum boys (in chronological order) out for trail ride this arvo. Spot the largest whole milk dryer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Just got back from Dunedin office to find the boys doing a mid winter oat harvest. 20kg/Ha of Jivet annual ryegrass and 60kg/Ha Milton oats down fert spout, planted together. Ryegrass tiller density looking good for second harvest in September

Just as well the maize planting was finished yesterday cos I’m stuffing envelopes today hehe…!

Been down in the Deep South talking to Alliance shareholders, my name is in the hat for the directors elections. Where else can you find stunning native tussock, bright pink tulips and a paddock of magnificent big fat ewes grazing the flattest paddock on the farm..!

Bought a few bags of seed potatoes at Farmlands Putaruru a few weeks ago and shoved them in in these old feed pad troughs. Christmas dinner looking very tasty 😅

New milk tanker turned up at our cowshed today, driver reckons it runs as smooth on hydrogen as it used to on diesel. Milk powder factory where he carts back to is plugged into volcano, geothermal energy to fire boilers, no gas or coal. Low carbon milk anyone?

My daughter Heidi was coxswain for the mens 8 crew at the Trans Tasman universities rowing regatta this week. She guided our lads to a finals win over NSW on the Brisbane river.

Thanks to shareholders who have voted in the Farmlands Directors elections. For those that haven’t, voting closes on Thursday. Appreciate your support, Gray

First big night of maize harvest tonight, thank the Good Lord for plenty of hot sun and regular rain seeing huge cobs and big fat kernels. Yields significantly up on last year.

Finally got onto grass seed drill today, did calibration and sowed small paddock in our lifestyle subdivision where neighbours can’t see stuff ups. Result - all good so headed to maize stubble, 130ha to go..! 🥵

Tonight we had the Farmlands “Party in the Paddock” which rewards shareholders in the store that increased Farmlands Card expenditure the most over the festive season. Putaruru store won from 82 others, what a blast, look at those kids boogeying down.

Poplars and willows are a pain in the backside, clogging up our wetland. Today Daniel from AgriDroneCo came and dealt to them - pretty cool technology.

No fewer than 6 machines on our lucerne blocks today, rake, baler, wrapper, stacker, truck. 285 bales from 31Ha. Cows love this stuff, will mix with maize, grass silage, PKE and minerals for a wicked winter milking brew.

Possum fur collected by my grandsons was today airfreighted to Wanaka based Burnt Hill Yarn company. Will be blended with merino and used for high end fashion from Lisa F Design. Predator possums dealt to, native birds protected, small boys earn pocket money. Good outcomes.

Too many criticisms of pine forests, including allegations that they are a “monoculture”. Here’s one of our blocks, visible natives are coprosma, black mapou, cabbage tree and carex. Pungas and hebes under the canopy. Bring on the biodiversity credits proposed by government..!

@nzjuls Yep logging cost and log price at wharf both locked in. Small up or down variance on JAS yield. Estimate is $25k/ha net. Fences already there but will need tart up after logging gang been through 😎

@FarmerDirector It'll be interesting to see what you make out of the logs. Have you got set price for the logging cost? Does it need re-fencing after logging?

Every dairy farmer is trying to work out how to survive low milk prices, high interest rates and expensive inputs. I’m getting stuck into a few pine trees on our steep sidlings, expecting log sales to meet 100% of 130ha maize crop costs, a big help.

@fairleigh_ag Good question, there might not be any maize unless milk price improves…! You gotta assume things go in a cycle

@FarmerDirector So what pays for the maize next year then?🤔

It was a bit chilly on the way up to Arthur’s Pass yesterday. I’ve been talking to farmers on the West Coast about the DairyNZ elections - there’s 10 days till the voting closes

My grandsons (hoodie and black hat) featured today in the Te Woatu school pumpkin rolling competition. With all 4 grandparents present, much was at stake in the bragging rights. The boys won “most colourful pumpkin” and were runner up in the “biggest pumpkin” category (63kg).